FOR
IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
Contact:
Tim
Sansbury,
Public
Relations,
513.231.5115
tim@jzmcbride.com
or
Will
Sikes
will@jzmcbride.com
Loyalty
Reward
Programs:
The
Antidote
to
Economic
Stimulus
Payment
Shrinkage
Rewards
Cover
Luxuries,
Necessities
and
Charities
for
Consumers
Who
Want
to
Restore
Value
to
their
Rebate
Checks
Doubledipping
Spending
the
Rebate
with
a
Business
that
Offers
Reward
Points,
Miles
or
Cash
Back
Gives
Beleaguered
Consumers
a
Way
to
Fight
Back
CINCINNATI
(May
23,
2008)
–
Escalating
gasoline
and
grocery
prices
mean
the
economic
stimulus
check
that
Washington
promised
in
February
has
lost
some
of
its
luster
in
May.
Gas
has
risen
about
75
cents
a
gallon
and
food
costs
are
up
5
percent
in
the
lag
time.
But
millions
of
Americans
are
well
positioned
to
reclaim
lost
financial
ground
by
combining
their
rebate
checks
with
rewards,
points,
miles
and
cash
back
offerings
from
loyalty
marketing
programs
that
span
nearly
every
sector
of
the
economy.
In
fact,
U.S.
consumers
hold
1.3
billion
memberships
in
loyalty
reward
programs,
more
than
four
times
the
national
population,
according
to
loyalty
marketing
publisher
COLLOQUY.
The
average
household
belongs
to
12
reward
programs,
with
active
participation
in
four
to
five.
“A
windfall
of
money
from
the
government
combined
with
free
rewards
…
What’s
more
American
than
double‐dipping?”
said
Kelly
Hlavinka,
COLLOQUY
managing
partner.
“Reward
points
and
miles
are
ready‐made
to
stimulate
the
stimulator.
Savvy
consumers
know
the
benefits
they
accrue
from
their
favorite
reward
programs,
so
they
can
stretch
their
rebate
dollars
without
having
to
wade
through
the
clutter
of
offers
that
are
popping
up
to
lure
rebate
spenders.”
Hlavinka
added,
“Rewards,
like
the
rebate
check
itself,
may
not
turn
the
economy
around,
but
for
consumers
hit
from
all
sides,
they
offer
something
equally
important,
a
sense
of
fighting
back.
However
you
decide
to
use
your
rebate
check,
there
is
a
reward
program
to
expand
its
value,
whether
it’s
travel,
shopping,
investing,
healthcare
or
education,
or
maybe
just
buying
gas
and
groceries.
Some
programs
enable
you
to
donate
earned
points
or
cash
to
a
charity.”
According
to
COLLOQUY,
U.S.
consumers
hold
254
million
memberships
in
airline
frequent
flyer
programs;
238
million
memberships
in
financial
services
and
credit
card
reward
programs;
137
million
memberships
in
specialty
retail
reward
programs;
124
million
memberships
in
grocery
reward
programs
and
107
million
memberships
in
department
store
reward
programs.
These
are
the
top
five
sectors
for
loyalty
memberships.
Approximately
130
million
U.S.
households
will
receive
stimulus
payments
that
are
the
centerpiece
of
Washington’s
$160
billion
plan
to
give
the
economy
a
shot
in
the
arm.
For
a
qualifying
family
of
four,
the
anti‐recession
check
is
worth
up
to
$1,800.
Luxuries
Travel
–
Through
Delta’s
SkyMiles
program,
buy
miles
between
April
1
and
June
30
and
receive
a
mileage
bonus
of
up
to
40%.
For
example,
buy
20,000
miles
and
receive
an
8,000‐mile
bonus.
Big
Ticket
Buy
–
Use
Best
Buy’s
Reward
Zone
program
to
buy
a
$2,000
flat
screen
TV
and
receive
up
to
$120
in
cash
rewards
–
enough
to
buy
2
iPod
shuffles
for
the
kids.
Personal
Gym
–
Purchase
a
$1,800
treadmill
using
the
Dick’s
Sporting
Goods
Scorecard
program
and
receive
cash
rewards
up
to
$80
–
a
sum
that
will
cover
hand
weights
and
a
sleek
new
workout
outfit.
Necessities
Gasoline
–
Earn
points
on
every
purchase
at
Speedway
and
Super
America
through
the
SpeedyRewards
program.
Redeem
points
for
up
to
$12.50
off
a
gas
tank
fill‐up.
Mortgage
payment
–
Adding
a
mortgage
to
a
Citi
Thank
You
Rewards
banking
portfolio
earns
bonus
points
each
month,
plus
points
each
time
a
mortgage
payment
is
made
with
a
Citi
checking,
debit
or
credit
account.
Points
can
be
redeemed
toward
the
repayment
of
an
educational
loan.
Telecom
–
Charter
Communications’
Live
it
with
Charter
program
allows
customers
to
earn
points
on
money
spent
for
everyday
use
of
phone,
cable
and
internet.
At
15
points
per
dollar,
paying
this
utility
bill
leads
soon
enough
to
an
Alaskan
cruise
or
posh
hotel
stay.
Charities
Environmental
Protection
–
Purchases
made
using
a
Ducks
Unlimited
WorldPoints
Visa
card
results
in
a
Bank
of
America
contribution
to
Ducks
Unlimited
wetlands
conservation
efforts,
at
no
extra
cost
to
the
cardholder,
and
earn
the
cardholder
points
that
can
be
donated
to
Ducks
Unlimited
or
redeemed
for
merchandise.
Education
–
Customers
that
make
purchases
using
TARGET’s
REDcard
get
a
donation
to
the
K‐12
school
of
their
choice
and
earn
points
that
can
be
redeemed
for
rewards.
Disaster
Relief
–
Rebate
payments
spent
with
Hilton
earn
HHonors
points
that
can
be
donated
for
cash
contributions
to
the
International
Federation
of
Red
Cross
(IFRC),
including
the
South
Asia
IFRC
fund.
ABOUT
COLLOQUY
COLLOQUY comprises a collection of resources devoted to the global loyalty-marketing
industry. The flagship resources are COLLOQUY Consulting, a loyalty consulting
practice, COLLOQUY, a magazine serving the loyalty-marketing industry since 1990,
COLLOQUY.COM the most comprehensive loyalty web site in the world,
COLLOQUY's Research and Education divisions. Together they provide a worldwide
audience of 25,000+ marketers with consulting, news, editorial, educational and research
services across all industries and around the globe. COLLOQUY magazine subscriptions
are available at no cost to qualified persons at www.colloquy.com or by calling
513.248.9184.